Current and Future Trends in Physician E-Sampling: Managing for Superior Sales, Access, Service & Cost Benefits

Features:

25

Data Graphics

114

Metrics

28

Narratives

12

Best Practices

Pages: 46

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ID: PSM-278

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Many leading pharmaceutical companies recognize the need to explore different means and mechanisms to supply physicians and their patients with samples of prescription medications. This is especially true since many physicians have restricted access to the sales reps who traditionally helped order and restock samples as part of their detailing visits.

While some companies have made substantial forays into the world of physician e-sampling, usually as a supplement to traditional sampling, others have done less in this area. This is important when you consider that 30 percent of patients in the United States are more likely to fill a prescription after initially receiving a sample from a physician. This report identifies and documents current practices and trends in physician e-sampling and explores the rationale for different tactical approaches to sampling and what constitutes success in physician e-sampling.

This report explore best practices in the use and management of physician e-sampling as a means “to obtain access” to prescribing physicians. The report benchmarks how pharmaceutical companies organize their sampling efforts and explores the alignment of activities with specific goals for these approaches, such as the percentage of physicians served through physician e-sampling, volume of samples direct shipped, sampling methods (direct orders, vouchers, etc.), peripheral activities (e.g., physician signatures, temperature monitoring), budgets, and performance metrics.

The report also offers broader qualitative insights into the trends, successes, and pitfalls associated with these efforts as well as strategic implications for physician access and other elements of the commercial model.

Key Findings

Physician E-Sampling Is Now An Established Tactic: Sales reps are still the primary sampling channel -- but Physician E-Sampling is growing and maturing. As sales resources shrink, companies look for efficient ways to access physicians. In the benchmark class at large, 1/3 of sampling has moved to Physician E-Sampling with 2/3 still delivered through sales reps. However, more companies are supplementing rep-based sampling with Physician E-Sampling and a few companies have moved to 100% Physician E-Sampling . For most, the Physician E-Sampling system is a field tactic coupled with individual products, therapeutic area or lifecycle. It is not yet a broad-based company-wide strategy among larger companies.

Physician E-Sampling Reaches Across Therapeutic Areas: Physician E-Sampling has been seeded across multiple therapeutic areas – including diabetes and most other large chronic care areas. Physician E-Sampling has been in place for five or more years at many companies. Yet ¼ of the benchmark class is new to this channel. Physician E-Sampling innovation seems to be stimulated simultaneously by difficulty reaching physicians, sales resource limitations and evolving specialty models.

Many leading pharmaceutical companies recognize the need to explore different means and mechanisms to supply physicians and their patients with samples of prescription medications... (ID PSM-278)Companies Profiled: abbott, GlaxoSmithKline, Genzyme, Ipsen, read more ...

In a dynamic business environment where an organization’s growth goals shift rapidly, companies review and modify their marketing strategy, tactics, time and activities on a timely basis to match the product and business requirements... (ID PSM-244)Companies Profiled: Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Hospira, LifeScan, read more ...